


Riptide

by Captainmintyfresh



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anchors, M/M, Theo is Liam's anchor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 09:34:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12208572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captainmintyfresh/pseuds/Captainmintyfresh
Summary: For the prompt - Could you maybe write something about Theo being Liam's anchor





	Riptide

“You’re joking. Right?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Theo said with a hearty sigh. Liam blinked at him, wondering what strange alternate dimension he’d wandered into.

“You..you want to be my anchor?”

“Yes. Nothing would please me more.” Theo said dryly. “Of course I don’t  _want_ to be your anchor but until this is over you need to figure out how to control your anger properly. An anchor will help with that-”

“And you’re going to be my-”

“Yes, Liam. For the millionth time. I’ve had easier conversations with brick walls.”

“That’s probably because brick walls can’t call you out on being an ass.” Liam grumbled.“Well, this ass is now your anchor.” Theo snapped. Liam hoped Theo’s plan wasn’t just for Liam to picture his ass whenever he got angry. “We make a decent team. You wanted my help today and I’m betting you’ll want it again before this is over. If we’re going to be working together it makes sense that you use me.”

“I can’t just turn on you being my anchor.” Liam said. He didn’t want to admit that it made sense, that it seemed…easy. That Theo, despite his many annoying habits, like talking, had already somehow managed to worm his way in enough for Liam to feel calmer with him around.

He didn’t want to admit that he was worried that Theo was already tilting too close to being his anchor for his liking. He’d realised today when they’d been trying to draw the reinforcements to the zoo. Theo’s heartbeat calming him down even as his fist clapped hard against his face. He knew, were it anyone else, he would have turned properly. The fact Theo got off with little more than a few bruises and nose thrice broken was a miracle in itself.

“No but you can train yourself.” Theo said. Unaware of Liam’s mental crisis. He could admit it, that Theo already had a way of making him calmer, then he wouldn’t have to ‘train’ at least, not as much. Liam thought of how smug Theo would probably be knowing he had even the little bit of power of Liam that he currently had and quickly dismissed the idea of telling him. “Look, once this is over we can find you a proper anchor, a permanent one-” Liam tried to pretend he didn’t feel a glimmer of hope at the word ‘we’. “-but until then we have to survive. To do that you need to be in control.”

“Things worked out fine today.” Liam said.

“They almost didn’t. You almost got us caught. You almost killed someone.”

“You think focusing on you will make me any less likely to kill someone? If anything it’ll drive me into more of a murderous rage.”

“What, like it did today?” Theo said slowly, lips lifting in the smug smirk Liam had been dreading. His heart plummeted. Of course Theo would notice. “Because I seem to remember you not killing me and being able to convince you to leave and then almost getting you to leave Nolan again. Seems to me like you’re already feeling pretty-”

“How do we do it?” Liam growled. Theo’s smirk somehow grew even smugger.

“We get you angry and then you focus on me to calm down.”

“That’s it? That’s your big plan. To piss me off?”

“Well, I am good at it.” Theo hummed. Liam sighed, shifting from foot to foot as he looked to the door of the warehouse. Why wouldn’t the others come back and stop this conversation?

“Can’t I just use your anchor? I mean, you never lose control.” Liam suggested.

“I don’t have an anchor. I just use the tried and tested British method of repressing emotions.”

“You’re not British.” Liam said.

“I am where it counts.”

“At least you admit you’re emotionally stunted.” Liam mumbled.

“Great…Should we start?” Liam didn’t get anymore warning before Theo was slamming a fist into his face.

It was going to be a long night.

*

“Liam! Liam stop.” Theo growled. His voice muffled to Liam’s ears. Liam went to swing his arm forwards only for it to be caught before it could hit its target. “Liam listen to my voice. We practiced this remember. You gotta calm down.” A rumble reverberated from Liam’s chest as looked down at Gabe. Theo’s heartbeat thundered in his ears, his voice a soothing wave that left Liam’s own heart slowing. “We need him to tell us what they’re planning next.”

“Melissa-”

“I know.” Theo said, voice painfully soft. “But if you want them to pay we need to know where they are, what they’re planning next and he knows.” Liam’s lip curled in a snarl but he gave a short nod, letting Theo pull him away properly. His fingers hot against Liam’s arm.

“What do we do?”

“You. Nothing.” Theo said. “Just stand there and stay calm.”

“And what will you do?”

“Getting information out of people is a skill of mine.” Theo said with a small grin. “I got this.” Liam could still feel his claws itching at his fingertips. He closed his eyes, looking away from Gabe and focusing on the thump of Theo’s heart. He tilted his head in a small nod, letting Theo pull him another step back, fingers squeezing tight around Liam’s biceps for a moment before he was dropping it. Theo’s footsteps clattered across the locker room as he took his position in front of Gabe.

“I’m not telling you anything.” Gabe growled.

“You know you’re right.. To be afraid of the monsters in beacon hills, it’s a good idea, there’s some real bad seeds in this town. But you also have to understand not every monster is really a 'monster’ monster. And the ones you’re hurting, They’re the good guys. Every time something goes wrong in this town they’re the ones fixing it. You don’t have to be scared of them.” Liam’s eyes snapped open as Gabe let out a strangled yelp. Theo had a hand around his throat, he yanked him off the floor until Gabe’s feet were singing, his toes barely touching the floor as the scrambled for purchase, dark claws prickling the skin at his throat. “But me.” Liam watched as Theo grinned, wide and manic before launching Gabe back. Liam flinched as glass shattered, Gabes head connecting hard with the closest mirror. Theo pinned his head against the fractured glass, the copper scent of blood hitting the room. “I’m one of those bad seeds. So maybe you don’t want to tell us. That’s fine because I’m in no way above torture. To be honest, I quite like it.”

“Theo.” Liam warned.

“Go to hell.” Gabe hissed. Theo span him, slamming him back into the glass so this time he was facing them. Theo leant in close, letting out a slow laugh as his fangs elongated and his eyes flashed yellow.

“I’ve already been.” Theo cooed. “You know I learnt a few things.” The hand not locked around Gabe’s throat came up, claws pressing against his chest, over his heart. “Like how to rip out a heart slow enough for you to really feel it.” His claws dug in leaving Gabe whimpering in pain as blood begun to pool around Theo’s fingers. “Or.” Theo pulled his claws back. “You could just tell us what we want to know.”

*

It worked. Theo being his anchor and Liam wasn’t even surprised, terrified yes, but not surprised.

He tried to bury his head in the sand, throwing twisted logic at it. He’d tell himself that it made sense that Theo was his anchor, because Theo knew anger, he knew hate and rage and that was why he could help control Liam in a way no one else could. because he understood in a way no one else did.

But he knew it wasn’t true because Scott had felt the urge to kill too, he’d almost done it before but he’d pulled himself back. No, it wasn’t because other people didn’t understand his rage because they did, in a way, maybe not the true extent of it, the sudden explosions he could feel but they got hatred, they got the petty need for revenge that wasn’t something special about Theo.

He told himself it was just because Theo suggested it but that was so easily thrown out that it was laughable, he remembered the triskelion Derek had tried to get him to use as an anchor. How it hadn’t worked for even a second. Being told something would be your anchor doesn’t work, for it to really keep you in control it needed to be something that truly affected you, something that resonated.

And that was more terrifying, he’d prefer to think that he could be influenced by Theo’s suggestion, that he had some similarities in the 'wanting to murder people’ department as Theo because it was less scary than the truth.

The truth was that he’d seen Theo change, he’d been stuck with him watching as Theo moved along picking up the shreds of his humanity, watching as Theo slowly but surely edged towards redemption. He’d watched Theo learning to care and found himself tripping head first into caring about Theo in turn.

Because Theo was Liam’s anchor in the same way Hayden had been. It wasn’t something forced, or something he chose, it was a natural pull that drew them closer together, that left Liam’s head spinning even as he realised he could control himself better than ever.

He didn’t need a touch, or reassuring words. He just needed Theo standing near him, needed the low tenor of his voice as he called him an idiot and basically egged him on and somehow, somehow it still made him step back, made his claws recede and his heartbeat slow.

Theo had changed and Liam hated that each time he witnessed it, it would make his heart leap.

*

It all ended in the school, Liam thought he should at least pretend to be surprised about it but he wasn’t. Everything bad seemed to happen in the school. It was fast and bloody, the kind of fight that left Liam wondering if they really were the good guys when he looked at the mess of bodies around. At least none of them had been because of him. Peter and Argent had been the ones doing the killing.

And Theo hadn’t. Theo hadn’t even tried and that left Liam feeling sick because no one would have blamed him at this point for killing a human or two. Not when there was wolfs bane itching in the air and their friends were being shot at. They would have accepted it. Maybe not really liked it but they wouldn’t say anything. They’d come too far, in a war there were going to be casualties.

The fighting was over.

Theo turned and walked out of the library as the silent buzz of adrenaline begun to wear off, as the McCall pack begun to celebrate, it was morose and quiet, with tight hugs and relieved sighs but a celebration none the less. One that Theo apparently knew full well no one would really want him around for.

Theo was the tide and Liam was a wave helpless but to follow. Theo stopped once they were out of earshot. There was a time when Liam would have hated it, to be out of hearing range in the dark school with Theo. He’d have been terrified, or worried he’d snap and kill him, worried he’d enjoy doing it, but now, now he felt the tension of weeks of fighting draining from his shoulders as Theo turned to look at him, brow draw as he opened his mouth, no doubt to ask why Liam was him rather than with his pack.

“You’re my anchor.” Liam blurted. Theo’s eyebrow climbed up his forehead, a smirk twisting at his lips.

“I know. I suggested it.” Theo said slowly. Liam glowered as Theo looked at him like he was a moron. “Don’t worry. I told you I’d help you figure out something else once the fight was over and I still will but-

“No. I mean. You’re my anchor.” Liam said softly, imploring Theo to understand feet drawing him in slow steps closer.

“Again, I suggested it.” Theo said. Liam let out a groan. Why? why did this have to be who he liked?

“I don’t mean that.” Liam said hotly.

“Then what do you mean?”

“Look I get you’re into British repression but could you at least attempt to understand how emotions work.” Liam snapped. Theo flinched back and Liam winced, perhaps insulting him wasn’t the best way to go about this. “I..I like being near you, it calms me down. You keep me human.”

“Right. Like an anchor is supposed to.” Theo said.

“I LIKE YOU! YOU DUMBASS!” Liam roared. So much for not insulting him. Theo blinked at him, eyes wide. “You’re my anchor, not just my, I need someone to keep me in control, anchor but my anchor anchor, like Stiles was to Malia. The kind that if anything happened to you I’d lose my freaking mind.” Liam’s heart was racing in his chest.

“You..like me? As in-” Theo started.

“Yes as in that.” Liam said, crossing his arms trying to ignore the embarrassment flooding through him.

“Why?” Theo said defensively.

“What? What do you mean why?”

“I mean why the hell would you do that? Are you an idiot?” Theo snapped, stalking forwards and shoving Liam hard.

“Do you not like me back?” Liam asked. Heat flooding his cheeks the moment the words left his mouth. Theo rolled his eyes dramatically.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t!” Theo huffed. “But you’re not meant to like me back. I’ve been trying to help you  _not_ make dumbass decisions and then you pull this?”

“Are..Are you annoyed that I like you..because you like me?” Liam said, stunned.

“Yes! Dammit, Liam, I’ve manipulated you and tried to get you to kill your alpha and when that failed I did kill him! You sent me to hell because of everything I did to you and your friends and you have a crush on me? What kind of idiot does that?”

“You’ve changed!” Liam snapped. “I wouldn’t like you if I still thought you were the same person you were back then, give me a little bit of credit. And you’re calling me an idiot? You’re the idiot you should be happy that it’s mutual not scolding me!”

“It shouldn’t be mutual! You should make better choices.” Theo said, a disappointed scowl on his face. Liam

“Are you..is this you rejecting me?” Liam asked.

“No.” Theo snorted.

“You just said I should make better choices.” Liam parroted. Mind reeling, how was Theo his anchor, the person who kept him grounded and thinking straight when he was the most confusing and infuriating person he’d ever met.

“You should! because I’m not the kind of guy who’s actually going to put himself out so you can make them.” Theo hissed.

“Wha-” Liam flailed as Theo shoved him up against the lockers making them ring out through the hall. Theo’s lips pressed on his, fast and hungry leaving Liam’s heart stuttering in his chest, his hands clawing out for something to hold onto. Theo pulled back as Liam tried to return the kiss, a hand pressed against his chest to stop him from chasing it like he wanted to.

“You’re such an idiot.” Theo growled. Anger seeping off of him.

“I’m so confused.” Liam said honestly. Theo rolled his eyes before he was yanking Liam back in for another kiss, this time he let Liam return it.


End file.
